Grand Canyon National Park in Coconino County, Arizona — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Santa Fe Depot

By William Fischer, Jr., November 11, 2010

1. Santa Fe Depot Marker

Inscription. "Won't you be one of the 25,000 visitors at the Grand Canyon of Arizona this summer? It is the world's scenic wonder - nothing like it."
Santa Fe Railroad brochure, 1914.

The Santa Fe train whistle that was heard here on September 17, 1901, signaled the end of Grand Canyon's frontier days. A $3.50 train ride now replaced a $20.00, full-day, jolting stagecoach ride. In coming decades, Santa Fe promotions nationwide would encourage visitors to come by rail. By the thousands, they did.

The railroad opened Grand Canyon to the world. The Santa Fe Depot, built in 1909, greeted rail patrons for 59 years. But the railroad's operation went well beyond trains. At Grand Canyon the Santa Fe offered hotels, Fred Harvey meals, and a wide range of sightseeing options. And for more than 30 years Santa Fe tank cars delivered water, vital on Grand Canyon's waterless south rim.

In the 1950s automobiles doomed rail travel. The Santa Fe stopped passenger service here in 1968. In 1989 limited service resumed in the form of excursion trains, not associated with the Santa Fe. Today the National Park Service maintains the historic depot to remind us of Grand Canyon's rail era.

Location. 36° 3.408′ N, 112° 8.203′ W. Marker is in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, in Coconino County. Touch for map. Marker is at the station, on the trackside platform, off Village Loop Drive in Grand Canyon Village. Marker is in this post office area: Grand Canyon AZ 86023, United States of America.

[Caption reads] Visitors arrive at Grand Canyon, circa 1939. Notice the number of rail cars. For many years most visitors came by train.

circa 1915

5. Photo on Santa Fe Depot Marker

[Caption reads] The Santa Fe crew posed at the depot, circa 1915.

By William Fischer, Jr., November 11, 2010

6. Santa Fe Depot Outdoor Waiting Area

By William Fischer, Jr., November 11, 2010

7. Santa Fe Depot Ticket Window

By NPS photo, circa 1910

8. 1910 Postcard of Santa Fe Depot

Framed photo inside waiting area. Caption reads: Seen in this 1910 post card view, the new depot just after opening. Note the spelling of Cañon in the southwestern Spanish tradition. This sign lasted just a few short months. Although much of their decor around the country continued to reflect Spanish influences, the Santa Fe changed this sign to conform with a system-wide policy that required the use of English.

By William Fischer, Jr., November 11, 2010

9. Grand Canyon Railway Train at Santa Fe Depot

By Mike Stroud, May 25, 2002

10. Santa Fe Depot

By Mike Stroud, June 17, 2006

11. Santa Fe Depot

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on January 8, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 747 times since then and 46 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. submitted on January 8, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 10, 11. submitted on January 8, 2011, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.